Adam Fields (weblog) » Health http://www.aquick.org/blog entertaining hundreds of millions of eyeball atoms every day Fri, 09 May 2008 13:38:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Fed up with food labeling http://www.aquick.org/blog/2008/03/03/fed-up-with-food-labeling/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2008/03/03/fed-up-with-food-labeling/#comments Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:59:29 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2008/03/03/fed-up-with-food-labeling/ Our food labeling standards are completely out of whack.

As an example, let’s take “100% fruit juice”. I’m pretty sure that at some point, “100% fruit juice” meant that what you got in the bottle was, prior to being put in the bottle, a piece of fruit that was crushed and maybe filtered. I’m 100% sure that that’s what most people still expect when they buy something that’s labeled “100% fruit juice”.

Except that’s not what you get anymore. Now, it’s reconstituted from concentrates, mixed from different kinds of fruit juice concentrates (which may have vastly different nutritional profiles), and blended into whatever they like, but it’s still the healthy choice kids, because it’s 100% fruit juice!

Right off the labels:

—-
Kedem concord grape juice (which, incidentally, is among the sweetest of the grapes):

The label says “100% fruit juice”.

Ingredients: Grape Juice, Potassium Metabisulfite Added To Enhance Freshness.

It has 150 calories per 8oz.

—-
Welch’s grape juice:

The label says “100% grape juice”.

Ingredients: Grape Juice From Concentrate (Water, Grape Juice Concentrate), Grape Juice, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), No Artificial Flavors Or Colors Added.

It has 170 calories per 8 oz.

—-

They’re not using grapes that have 13% more sugar in them, they’re dickering with the proportions to make their juice sweeter.

This is just one particularly egregious example, but it’s all over the place - many “100% juices” are sweetened with cherry juice or other concentrates. It’s a complete sham. Even the Kedem is pushing it because it’s got preservatives, but at least the juice is actual juice. No way does that Welch’s bottle contain “100% juice”.

Our food labels don’t mean what they say anymore, they have very detailed technical specifications to go with them, and it’s impossible to know what they mean from common sense without understanding those specifications. This isn’t even about making dubious health claims - it’s about defining away the actual contents of the package.

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2008/03/03/fed-up-with-food-labeling/feed/ Circo Hazardous Sock Packaging http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/05/01/circo-hazardous-sock-packaging/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/05/01/circo-hazardous-sock-packaging/#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 19:27:49 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/05/01/circo-hazardous-sock-packaging/ I happened to take my 6-month old to Target this weekend, and we bought him some socks. He was playing with the package and put them in his mouth, and managed to get the little hanger plastic piece out. There’s certainly enough to say about parental responsibility, and not letting the baby get into dangerous things, but until this little plastic piece disappeared (it turns out he dropped it on the floor), we didn’t even give a second thought to the idea that a pair of socks for a 6-12 month old might contain this kind of incredible choking hazard. I’m normally pretty paranoid about this. Didn’t these things used to go all the way across? Is this REALLY the place where Target wants to save a tenth of a cent of plastic? It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Be careful out there…

Circo Socks Hazardous Packaging

Circo Socks Hazardous Packaging

Circo Socks Hazardous Packaging

Circo Socks Hazardous Packaging

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/05/01/circo-hazardous-sock-packaging/feed/ Cadbury got busted for reducing the size of the Creme Egg and then lying about it http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/cadbury-got-busted-for-reducing-the-size-of-the-creme-egg-and-then-lying-about-it/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/cadbury-got-busted-for-reducing-the-size-of-the-creme-egg-and-then-lying-about-it/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:31:28 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/cadbury-got-busted-for-reducing-the-size-of-the-creme-egg-and-then-lying-about-it/ I used to get a Cadbury Creme Egg a year about the same time I had my annual McRib. Since I’ve realized over the course of the past few years that you’re only supposed to eat food, I didn’t know that Cadbury reduced the size of the Creme Egg this year. And then they lied about it! And they blamed it on the increasing size of their consumers (possibly from eating too many Creme Eggs)! And then they got busted on National TV! At least they could have had the dignity to release the “New Creme Egg”, and then release the “Creme Egg Classic” in the smaller form factor when people complained about the new formula.

http://consumerist.com/consumer/cadbury/cadbury-our-eggs-arent-smaller-you-are-bigger-250559.php

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/cadbury-got-busted-for-reducing-the-size-of-the-creme-egg-and-then-lying-about-it/feed/ Open letter to Apple asking for help improving medical design http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/open-letter-to-apple-asking-for-help-improving-medical-design/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/open-letter-to-apple-asking-for-help-improving-medical-design/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:22:02 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/open-letter-to-apple-asking-for-help-improving-medical-design/ http://www.diabetesmine.com/2007/04/an_open_letter_.html

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2007/04/13/open-letter-to-apple-asking-for-help-improving-medical-design/feed/ Autonomous robot does heart surgery! http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/20/autonomous-robot-does-heart-surgery/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/20/autonomous-robot-does-heart-surgery/#comments Sat, 20 May 2006 14:28:05 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/20/autonomous-robot-does-heart-surgery/ Wow, the future is now!

The Italian expert has used the robot surgeon for at least 40 previous operations, some of which have been described in detail in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The novelty of this latest experience is that the robot was able to conduct the entire procedure by itself. In the past it needed specific orders from its operator along the way.

http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2006-05-18_1186367.html

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/20/autonomous-robot-does-heart-surgery/feed/ Tamiflu goes open source http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/11/tamiflu-goes-open-source/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/11/tamiflu-goes-open-source/#comments Fri, 12 May 2006 01:49:38 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/11/tamiflu-goes-open-source/ http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/05/how_to_make_tamiflu.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/05/11/tamiflu-goes-open-source/feed/ Flash physics engine http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/28/flash-physics-engine/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/28/flash-physics-engine/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:17:37 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/28/flash-physics-engine/ Someone had fun with the Flash physics engine.

Warning: not porn, but does include bra-related breast physics.

http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk/bounceometer/shock.html

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/28/flash-physics-engine/feed/ Retiring to a perpetual cruise http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/21/retiring-to-a-perpetual-cruise/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/21/retiring-to-a-perpetual-cruise/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:11:41 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/21/retiring-to-a-perpetual-cruise/ Interesting tidbit from Snopes, via (Kottke).

Apparently, it’s about the same price to take a perpetual cruise as it is to live in a nursing home, and at least a few people have been doing this for years.

http://www.snopes.com/travel/trap/retire.asp

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/21/retiring-to-a-perpetual-cruise/feed/ Pigeon smog blog http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/03/pigeon-smog-blog/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/03/pigeon-smog-blog/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2006 18:42:17 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/03/pigeon-smog-blog/ Scientists at UC Irvine are planning to equip pigeons with small bird-sized backpacks containing pollution detectors, GPS, and wireless data access, so they can post realtime smog data to a blog.

The mind boggles.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18925376.000&feedId=online-news_rss20

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/03/pigeon-smog-blog/feed/ Watercone http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/02/watercone/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/02/watercone/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2006 23:35:39 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/02/watercone/ This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

It’s a low-cost portable still for purifying water with a pretty ingenious design.

http://www.watercone.com/product.html

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]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2006/02/02/watercone/feed/ MIT students study tinfoil hats http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/11/11/mit-students-study-tinfoil-hats/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/11/11/mit-students-study-tinfoil-hats/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2005 19:51:47 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/11/11/mit-students-study-tinfoil-hats/ Conclusion: tinfoil hat makes it easier for the gummint to read your brain. It’s a conspiracy!

http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/11/11/mit-students-study-tinfoil-hats/feed/ Ribosome simulated http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/25/ribosome-simulated/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/25/ribosome-simulated/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2005 13:26:59 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/25/ribosome-simulated/ This is incredibly cool. A complete working ribosome has been described in a computer simulation.

Via Perry:

http://www.lanl.gov/news/index.php?fuseaction=home.story&story_id=7372

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/25/ribosome-simulated/feed/ “No 911″ sticker for VOIP phones http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/12/no-911-sticker-for-voip-phones/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/12/no-911-sticker-for-voip-phones/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:30:45 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/12/no-911-sticker-for-voip-phones/ Some VOIP and computer phones don’t support 911 dialing in a way that’s equal to the conventional phone system. In an emergency, you probably don’t want to accidentally grab the wrong phone and use it to dial 911.

I sell a set of stickers that you can cut out and stick on phones that don’t support 911:

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/prod.aspx?p=adamf.33930969

[Update: 50% of all profits from this will be donated to the EFF.]

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/10/12/no-911-sticker-for-voip-phones/feed/ Assless Panties http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/08/04/assless-panties/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/08/04/assless-panties/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2005 19:47:49 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/08/04/assless-panties/ http://www.backlesslingerie.com/index.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/08/04/assless-panties/feed/ ICE - not a bad idea http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/19/ice-not-a-bad-idea/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/19/ice-not-a-bad-idea/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:20:31 +0000 adam http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/19/ice-not-a-bad-idea/ Clever solution to a problem.

Put a contact in your phone that starts with ICE (In Case of Emergency). That way, if you’re ever incapacitated and someone finds your phone, they know which of the many entries to call.

This seems to be getting some press coverage, so I suppose there’s a chance before not too long that emergency responders will actually know to check.

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/19/ice-not-a-bad-idea/feed/ We’re just going to deal with the fact that people die from time to time http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/01/were-just-going-to-deal-with-the-fact-that-people-die-from-time-to-time/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/01/were-just-going-to-deal-with-the-fact-that-people-die-from-time-to-time/#comments Sat, 02 Jul 2005 02:53:18 +0000 adam /?p=845 Kottke asks:

As members of the human species, we’re used to dealing with the death of people we “know” in amounts in the low hundreds over the course of a lifetime. With higher life expectancies and the increased number of people known to each of us (particularly in the hypernetworked part of the world), how are we going to handle it when several thousand people we know die over the course of our lifetime?

http://www.kottke.org/05/06/death-in-the-celebrity-age

Interesting question. I think, like everything else, the lack of novelty will acclimate us to the experience and we’ll just get used to the fact that lots of people we know will come out of our lives as easily as they entered.

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/07/01/were-just-going-to-deal-with-the-fact-that-people-die-from-time-to-time/feed/ Google maps hack to display Iraq casualties http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/29/google-maps-hack-to-display-iraq-casualties/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/29/google-maps-hack-to-display-iraq-casualties/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:31:17 +0000 adam /?p=839 Via hackaday:

http://www.casualty-maps.com/

[Update: another map (not a Google map), this one with casualties plotted over time by country and location in Iraq: http://www.obleek.com/iraq/index.html]

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/29/google-maps-hack-to-display-iraq-casualties/feed/ Environmental impact of mass buckyballs is unknown http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/28/environmental-impact-of-mass-buckyballs-is-unknown/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/28/environmental-impact-of-mass-buckyballs-is-unknown/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:29:15 +0000 adam /?p=837 Apparently, it’s just been discovered that buckyballs are water-soluble and antibacterial.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nanotech-05zzl.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/28/environmental-impact-of-mass-buckyballs-is-unknown/feed/ Rocks? http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/09/rocks/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/09/rocks/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2005 21:37:47 +0000 adam /?p=801 So, this is an article about how high-altitude mountain climbers have high instances of gastroenteritis because other climbers are shitting in the woods instead of disposing of it properly, and when it’s freezing cold, washing your hands with soap apparently isn’t a high priority.

But it goes on to say:

“Furthermore, fewer than half said they always washed their hands after defecating, with 16% admitting using rocks and snow instead of toilet paper. A shameful 11% confessed to pooping directly into the snow.”

Rocks?

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7492

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/09/rocks/feed/ Orgy porn is good for (producing) children http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/09/orgy-porn-is-good-for-producing-children/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/09/orgy-porn-is-good-for-producing-children/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2005 21:31:15 +0000 adam /?p=800 “Men who view pornographic images of two men and a woman produce better-quality sperm than men viewing pornographic images of just women, an Australian study reveals.

The finding suggests that humans may be capable of subconsciously increasing semen quality when faced with the possibility that their sperm will have to outrun those of other men in a woman’s reproductive tract.”

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7487&feedId=online-news_rss20

This does not, however, explain hot girl-on-girl action.

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/09/orgy-porn-is-good-for-producing-children/feed/ Bacterial control without antibiotics http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/07/bacterial-control-without-antibiotics/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/07/bacterial-control-without-antibiotics/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2005 14:09:41 +0000 adam /?p=792 Seems like pretty big news.

‘Only recently has it been discovered that the bacteria assembled in biofilms have a network of communication between them called “quorum sensing,” which controls their collective activity (or lack thereof). These sensing signals control the physiology and pathogenicity of the bacteria in the biofilms. A boron-based molecule that is produced by these bacteria, called auto inducer-2, controls the signals in this quorum sensing process.’

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2005/06/a_novel_way_to.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/06/07/bacterial-control-without-antibiotics/feed/ Heroin addiction gene identified and blocked in rats http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/31/heroin-addiction-gene-identified-and-blocked-in-rats/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/31/heroin-addiction-gene-identified-and-blocked-in-rats/#comments Tue, 31 May 2005 15:36:50 +0000 adam /?p=774 “Scientists have not only identified a critical gene involved in heroin addiction relapse, but they have also successfully blocked it, eliminating cravings for the drug.”

That’s huge.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7445

It sounds like it doesn’t block the effects of the drug, only the cravings. I wonder if that means that more people will be inclined to try heroin. Of course, that’s not a good reason not to do it.

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/31/heroin-addiction-gene-identified-and-blocked-in-rats/feed/ As if that’s important. http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/24/as-if-thats-important/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/24/as-if-thats-important/#comments Wed, 25 May 2005 00:55:34 +0000 adam /?p=761 “Researchers Pinpoint Brain’s Sarcasm Sensor”

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/05/23/hscout525874.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/24/as-if-thats-important/feed/ Moisturewear http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/23/moisturewear/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/23/moisturewear/#comments Mon, 23 May 2005 15:27:04 +0000 adam /?p=752 Underwear that moisturizes your skin while you wear it.

http://www.popgadget.net/2005/05/moisturizing-underwear.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/23/moisturewear/feed/ Super water kills microbes, harmless to humans http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/16/super-water-kills-microbes-harmless-to-humans/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/16/super-water-kills-microbes-harmless-to-humans/#comments Mon, 16 May 2005 20:30:31 +0000 adam /?p=738 “The solution looks, smells and tastes like water, but carries an ion imbalance that makes short work of bacteria, viruses and even hard-to-kill spores.”

http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,67472,00.html?tw=rss.TOP

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/16/super-water-kills-microbes-harmless-to-humans/feed/ Blood spinning http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/16/blood-spinning/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/16/blood-spinning/#comments Mon, 16 May 2005 12:35:37 +0000 adam /?p=737 Apparently, there’s a way to centrifuge your own blood to concentrate its mystical healing powers, and this is illegal according to some sports.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7375&feedId=online-news_rss20

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/16/blood-spinning/feed/ New fuel cell runs on blood http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/14/new-fuel-cell-runs-on-blood/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/14/new-fuel-cell-runs-on-blood/#comments Sat, 14 May 2005 14:33:53 +0000 adam /?p=736 Via jwz:

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw111596760144B215

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/14/new-fuel-cell-runs-on-blood/feed/ Non-allergenic latex http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/12/non-allergenic-latex/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/12/non-allergenic-latex/#comments Fri, 13 May 2005 04:35:14 +0000 adam /?p=734 http://www.yulex.com/technology.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/05/12/non-allergenic-latex/feed/ If you need to start a fire by polishing the bottom of a coke can with chocolate, you’re probably not reading this blog right now http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/27/if-you-need-to-start-a-fire-by-polishing-the-bottom-of-a-coke-can-with-chocolate-youre-probably-not-reading-this-blog-right-now/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/27/if-you-need-to-start-a-fire-by-polishing-the-bottom-of-a-coke-can-with-chocolate-youre-probably-not-reading-this-blog-right-now/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2005 03:42:55 +0000 adam /?p=706 But, you never know when this knowledge might come in handy later.

If, perchance, you need this at some point in the future, and it saves your ass, I expect you to take me out for dinner at Lugers.

http://www.trackertrail.com/survival/fire/cokeandchocolatebar/

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/27/if-you-need-to-start-a-fire-by-polishing-the-bottom-of-a-coke-can-with-chocolate-youre-probably-not-reading-this-blog-right-now/feed/ New food pyramid contains recommendations to eat mercury http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/26/new-food-pyramid-contains-recommendations-to-eat-mercury/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/26/new-food-pyramid-contains-recommendations-to-eat-mercury/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2005 14:49:17 +0000 adam /?p=705 http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2005/04/25/mercury_pyramid/index.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/26/new-food-pyramid-contains-recommendations-to-eat-mercury/feed/ Foodsaver guide to estimating portion sizes http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/24/foodsaver-guide-to-estimating-portion-sizes/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/24/foodsaver-guide-to-estimating-portion-sizes/#comments Sun, 24 Apr 2005 14:40:51 +0000 adam /?p=702 I love my Foodsaver - I use it all the time for sealing bulk items for storage, particularly meats for freezing.

They have a good guide to estimating portion sizes by comparison to real-world physical objects.

http://www.foodsaver.com/quicktips_portions1.ad2

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/24/foodsaver-guide-to-estimating-portion-sizes/feed/ Foodsaver guide to estimating portion sizes http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/24/foodsaver-guide-to-estimating-portion-sizes/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/24/foodsaver-guide-to-estimating-portion-sizes/#comments Sun, 24 Apr 2005 14:40:46 +0000 adam /?p=701 I love my Foodsaver - I use it all the time for sealing bulk items for storage, particularly meats for freezing.

They have a good guide to estimating portion sizes by comparison to real-world physical objects.

http://www.foodsaver.com/quicktips_portions1.ad2

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/24/foodsaver-guide-to-estimating-portion-sizes/feed/ Newly designed prescription bottle adopted by Target http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/19/newly-designed-prescription-bottle-adopted-by-target/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/19/newly-designed-prescription-bottle-adopted-by-target/#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:21:42 +0000 adam /?p=697 http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/health/features/11700/index.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/19/newly-designed-prescription-bottle-adopted-by-target/feed/ Rent a Dildo http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/18/rent-a-dildo/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/18/rent-a-dildo/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2005 22:03:45 +0000 adam /?p=695 Yick.

http://www.rent-a-dildo.com/howitworks.htm

(Given their rental model, I’d have gone with something like “NetPrix” instead of the name they chose.)

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/18/rent-a-dildo/feed/ Blue light may replace your toothbrush http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/05/blue-light-may-replace-your-toothbrush/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/05/blue-light-may-replace-your-toothbrush/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2005 18:49:47 +0000 adam /?p=682 http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7228

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/05/blue-light-may-replace-your-toothbrush/feed/ How not to get hit by cars http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/04/how-not-to-get-hit-by-cars/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/04/how-not-to-get-hit-by-cars/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2005 13:56:45 +0000 adam /?p=678 Interesting tips on bike riding safety and common accident types.

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:Z6XmI1hh4NAJ:www.hurlburt.af.mil/basewide/sentinels/docs/cars.doc+%22ten+ways%22+newsletter+filetype:doc&hl=en

(Update: Novitz points out this link, which is much better: http://bicyclesafe.com/)

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/04/04/how-not-to-get-hit-by-cars/feed/ Evidence that cells may be able to restore from ancestral genetic backups http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/23/evidence-that-cells-may-be-able-to-restore-from-ancestral-genetic-backups/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/23/evidence-that-cells-may-be-able-to-restore-from-ancestral-genetic-backups/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:55:59 +0000 adam /?p=659 Wow.

A study was was published this week in Nature that “suggests that plants, and perhaps other organisms including humans, might possess a back-up mechanism that can bypass unhealthy sequences from their parents and revert to the healthier genetic code possessed by their grandparents or great-grandparents.”

http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050321/full/050321-8.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/23/evidence-that-cells-may-be-able-to-restore-from-ancestral-genetic-backups/feed/ “10 Things I Have Learned” http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/09/10-things-i-have-learned/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/09/10-things-i-have-learned/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2005 02:31:18 +0000 adam /?p=620 Interesting read. Basically, be true to thine own self, be honest with others, and some people just suck.

http://www.miltonglaserposters.com/news/pub_10.htm

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/09/10-things-i-have-learned/feed/ Prion-inactivating detergent http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/07/prion-inactivating-detergent/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/07/prion-inactivating-detergent/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2005 03:01:02 +0000 adam /?p=615 For cleaning surgical instruments potentially contaminated with vCJD and other prions.

http://www.steris.com/healthcare/view_product_page.cfm?productid=2343

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/03/07/prion-inactivating-detergent/feed/ First implantable male contraceptive http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/02/01/first-implantable-male-contraceptive/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/02/01/first-implantable-male-contraceptive/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2005 05:13:51 +0000 adam /?p=547 “Several clinical trials on rats, primates and humans have shown that the IVD effectively stops the flow of sperm, said Pollock, who’s from Vancouver.

Normal sperm flow would resume after the device is removed, he said, compared to reversing a vasectomy, which lowers the chance of pregnancy to about 60 per cent. ”

So… it blocks sperm… which then goes where?

http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=2d83e53b-46ce-45d4-a53c-67482e7c5ebc

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/02/01/first-implantable-male-contraceptive/feed/ Weyco no longer employs smokers http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/27/weyco-no-longer-employs-smokers/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/27/weyco-no-longer-employs-smokers/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2005 20:50:34 +0000 adam /?p=538 http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw110547_20050124.htm

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041030/OPINION02/410300314/1087/opinion

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/27/weyco-no-longer-employs-smokers/feed/ She’s starting to stabilize http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/25/shes-starting-to-stabilize/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/25/shes-starting-to-stabilize/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2005 04:20:01 +0000 adam /?p=536 My friend in the hospital is starting to stabilize. She’s had multiple open brain surgeries now, but it looks hopeful that she won’t need any more surgery. She’s got a long way to go, and she’ll still likely be in the ICU for a few months, but at least her condition isn’t currently actively life-threatening. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few days feeling relatively powerless, and putting a lot of my energy into just being there for her family, and helping to organize friends and family for getting news out and scheduling people to come visit.

Many thanks to the open source projects PHPScheduleIt and Wordpress.

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/25/shes-starting-to-stabilize/feed/ This is really brutal http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/23/this-is-really-brutal/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/23/this-is-really-brutal/#comments Mon, 24 Jan 2005 01:08:49 +0000 adam /?p=535 A very close friend of mine is currently in very critical condition following multiple open surgeries to address a ruptured aneurysm and consequential cerebral hemorrhaging. Results are day by day, and it will be several weeks before there’s any inkling of the extent of the damage, which is certainly non-trivial. The best current projected scenario is that she’ll need a month in the ICU followed by a year or more of physical and cognitive therapy, and she has a chance to regain full mental and physical capacity. But the nature of these things is that anything can happen, and all possible outcomes are still on the table.

I don’t have any energy for blogging right now.

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/23/this-is-really-brutal/feed/ Michael Pollan on why cows should eat grass http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/04/michael-pollan-on-why-cows-should-eat-grass/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/04/michael-pollan-on-why-cows-should-eat-grass/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2005 16:00:53 +0000 adam /?p=457 We were having a conversation about “what’s wrong with our food production system”, relating to obesity, the availability of cheap, unhealthy food, the abundance of corn, and eventually corn fed vs. grass fed beef. The question came up about why cows need massive antibiotics doses, and I had remembered reading an article by Michael Pollan describing that it was directly related to the change in diet from grass to grains/corn. I couldn’t find the original (actually, I think it’s buried in the NY Times Magazine archive), but here’s an interview with him that has substantially the same content:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/interviews/pollan.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/04/michael-pollan-on-why-cows-should-eat-grass/feed/ Safe Eggs http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/03/safe-eggs/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/03/safe-eggs/#comments Mon, 03 Jan 2005 18:54:14 +0000 adam /?p=452 “Safe Eggs” are eggs that have been briefly pasteurized in the shell. Apparently, they’re indistinguishable in cooking from regular eggs, and safe for raw egg usage with immuno-compromised individuals.

It seems to me that the salmonella scare is a bit overblown - a lot of people think you’re automatically going to get sick if you eat a raw egg. But, if you have a concern salmonella poisoning or a suppressed immune system, these may be the eggs for you.

http://www.safeeggs.com/

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/03/safe-eggs/feed/ Rings made out of your own bone (not that bone). http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/03/rings-made-out-of-your-own-bone-not-that-bone/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/03/rings-made-out-of-your-own-bone-not-that-bone/#comments Mon, 03 Jan 2005 18:30:15 +0000 adam /?p=450 Biojewelry is a UK company that makes custom jewelry out of cultured bone. Specifically, wedding rings made from the bone of the opposite partner. It’s not clear if this is currently being done, or if this is just a concept.

http://www.biojewelry.co.uk/

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2005/01/03/rings-made-out-of-your-own-bone-not-that-bone/feed/ Vegan-approved condoms http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/29/vegan-approved-condoms/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/29/vegan-approved-condoms/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2004 20:08:05 +0000 adam /?p=438 http://www.14-condoms.co.uk/condom-styles/vegan-approved-condoms.html

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/29/vegan-approved-condoms/feed/ Amazon has one-click tsunami aid donations http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/29/amazon-has-one-click-tsunami-aid-donations/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/29/amazon-has-one-click-tsunami-aid-donations/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2004 16:36:32 +0000 adam /?p=433 Amazon has added a 1-click donation page for tsunami aid donations. As of the time of this writing, they’ve collected almost $1.6M. If you haven’t given already, please consider it.

http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PX3BEL97U9A4I/

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/29/amazon-has-one-click-tsunami-aid-donations/feed/ Earthquake and Tsunami relief fund http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/27/earthquake-and-tsunami-relief-fund/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/27/earthquake-and-tsunami-relief-fund/#comments Mon, 27 Dec 2004 15:54:41 +0000 adam /?p=425 The Red Cross has set up an online form for making donations to the Earthquake and Tsunami relief fund.

http://www.ifrc.org/helpnow/donate/donate_response.asp

I’m sure even $20 helps - give now, before you find an excuse to put it off!

]]> http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/27/earthquake-and-tsunami-relief-fund/feed/ New nerve imaging tech http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/21/new-nerve-imaging-tech/ http://www.aquick.org/blog/2004/12/21/new-nerve-imaging-tech/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2004 19:05:09 +0000 adam /?p=392 “The proprietary NERVONIX Nerve Imaging Technology is based on the ability of nerves to alter tissue distribution parameters of electrical fields. Since depolarization of the neuronal cell membrane is not required for this effect, extremely low-intensity electrical fields can be employed for image construction. Impedance changes measured at the skin surface are translated into data to pinpoint and construct a two-dimensional image of the underlying nerve structures, which appear in the form of peaks on a topographical map. The highest impedance levels show up as the brightest peaks on the map. The technology operates non-invasively and without any unpleasant sensations.”

http://www.nervonix.com/products.php

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